Headlight for vehicles



@ch 16, 1934. R. J. HICKS HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 26 1933 w TJ M zls \A TTORNE Y Oct. 16, 1934. R. J. HICKS HEADLIGHTFOR VEHICLES 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26

Patented Get. 16, 1934 H 1,977,274 HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES Robert J.Hicks, Rochester, N. Y.

Application December 26, 1933, Serial No. 704,047

1 Claim.

hicles. I

Many automobile drivers have experienced more or less difficulty atnight in the use of the usual headlights when making turns at road andstreet intersections, and difficulties have also been experienced attimes, when passing other motorists or obstructions in. the roadway whenw it has been practically impossible to intelligently This inventionrelates to headlights for ve- 19 determine or gage the space throughwhich to pass without danger of side swiping and with a feeling ofsafety asregards remaining on the roadway without danger of running intoditches, banks, curves or other obstructions.

Therefore, one object of my invention is to provide a peculiarly formedheadlight for motor or other vehicles,embodying among other essentialcharacteristics, an outer shell containing the usual lens and reflectingmeans for straight 2 0 ahead lighting purposes in the usual manner and aside light operable when needed for use independently of the mainstraight ahead lighting means and which is so mounted with relation tothe main lighting means as not to obscure, diminish or in any wayinterfere with or affect the straight ahead illumination of the roadwayand yet adaptedto effectively and efiiciently illuminate the immediatearea or vicinity at the .side of the vehicle to prevent side swiping orrunning off the road and particularly to enable the driver to negotiateturns at street or road crossings or intersections.

There are times when a driver is required to maneuver his car undercrampe'd'or limited conditions in the yard of his home or in a parkingplace in order that he might properly enter the garage or aparking spaceand it is therefore, another objectof the invention to provide anauxiliary lighting means operable at will of the 4o"drive'r to enablehim to make various turns and shifts to enter the garage or parkingspace without danger of striking other automobiles or obstructions, theauxiliary lighting means providing for the projection of light raystoward the front and also at the side of the automobile.

Another object of the invention is to provide a headlightfor motor orother vehicles embodying a dual lighting means providing for straight Iahead illumination and for side-illumination, one

5p operable independently of the other, and both readily controllable bythe driver and which is V v in the nature of an unitary structure andcon- 'structed so that the reflecting means or interior of the shell maybe readily accessiblefor cleaning or for repairs or other purposes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lighting meansof the nature stated embodying an unitary device which may be readilyinstalled for use and which is compact and rigid and capable ofperforming all of the functions required thereof quickly in an emergencyand which by virtue of light rays thrown transversely across the roadfrom the left of the ve hicle not only aids observation in the interestsof passing drivers but the invention facilitates the making of turnswithout danger of meeting with obstacles orprojections on the turns.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claim hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction,within the scope of the the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a street or roadintersection illustrating in plan an automobile equipped with myimproved lighting means.

, Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view through one of theheadlights, illustrating one embodiment of the invention and showing itcoupled up with the switch mechanism on a dashboard of an automobile orother vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a view on a smaller scale illustrating a. side elevation ofone of the headlights.

Fig. 4 is a similar view in top plan.

Fig. 5 isa front elevation on a reduced scale showing one of theimproved headlights.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view illustrating the main and auxiliary headlightreflectors coupled together prior to placing the same in the usual outershell of a headlight.

Fig. '7 is a top plan .view of an unitary device in the nature of adouble lens structure for the dual reflector structure illustrated inFig. 6.

' Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary view illustrating the width of theconnection 28 between the main and auxiliary lenses.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail View of the iron of the outershellshowinga notch or passage for the connecting part between thelenses of the unitary dual lens structure. i

Fig. 10 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of a modified formof the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, andespecially to Figs. 1 to '9,

inclusive, the reference character 1 indicates an automobile or othervehicle provided with my new design of headlights, indicated, generally,by the reference character A.

The vehicle 1 is shown as located at a position with relation to astreet or road intersection and the vehicle about to make a turn to theright to avoid the corner 2 and indicating by diverging lines a thelight rays projecting from the side of the right hand headlight tofacilitate the turn without danger of running into the curb or corner orother obstruction 2 at the intersection, the dotted lines D indicatingthe straight ahead light rays normally employed for lighting up theroadway in the usual manner ahead or the automobile or other vehicle.

My improved headlights are constructed alike and a description istherefore necessary for only one of them to give an understanding of thein:

vention and each includes a housing or outer shell 3 of substantiallyconical shape but 'wliichit will be understood may be of any othercommon or suitable shape and which has at its outer end ah annularperipheral shoulder 4 adapted to tightly receive the annular flange 5 ofthe lens securing ring 6 whereby't'o effectively secure the lens 7'detachably to the front or the outer shell or housing 3.

This particular means for securing the lens 7 in place is shown merelyfor purposes or" illustration and it will be understood that any of thecommon means now employed for securing the main lens 7 in place maybeemployed for the purpose. I

A main reflectors is locatedw'ithin the housing or outer shell 3 in anysuitable manner and in the appropriate place as is commonin'h'eadli'ghts for motor vehicles. As shown, the main'refiector 8 has amarginal flanges extending outwardly therefrom with its peripheral edgefitti'ngsnugly under the aforesaidannular fiange 5 within the -shell 3at the outer end thereof. The peripheral edge of the lens '7 fitsagainst the flange-9 'and'the frohtedgfeof the shell 3 and is'clamped'thereag'ainst by'thesecuring rings. The apex of the preferably-conicalreflector 8 is providedwith an opening 11 for a purpose presentlyexplained.

The housing or shell 3 is providedin'the'outer sidewall thereof betweenthe axis and th'e t'o'p 'of theshell with an opening 12 which is'formedby an inwardly directed portion 13 of the shell 3 forming a seat for anauxiliary lens -14'-whi'ch is maintained over the opening 12 'on theseat 13 by an auxiliary reflector 15supported from the main reflector 8by;a connecting member 16 whereby the main reflector 8 and 'theauxiliary reflector 15 are rigidly coupled together, one

embodiment of the invention, as an unitary device.

*By'reason of the formation of the part- 13 and 17 there is provided aninset opening 'l'2-for theScating-of'theauxiliary lens 14 and there isalso provided ag'rooved wall 18 leading 'fromthe v seat 13 outwardlythrough the sideof'thehousing l or shell 3 in a'direction-to throw lightrays for- Wardly of the vehicle and tothe side'thereof to illuminate thevicinity or "area inadvanceand particularly to th'e'sideof thevehicle atthe front j thereof, the auxiliary reflector 15 'havin'g"a"light bulb 19det'achably'mounte d thereinm'an suitable manner. H

Alight'bulb '20 is remo'vably mountedi'n the I aroresaid'opening 1 1- atthe mrnorejndbr themain .reffieptor and it has the u suahwiifedconnection 2lleading from the bulb z'o-tnr'oughan'apening 22 at theinner end of the shell 3 to a switch board 23 disposed on the dashboard24. of the vehicle and whereby the main straight ahead lighting means ofthe automobile may be thrown into or out of operation through theinstrumentality of any suitable connection of electric switch 25, itbeing understood that the switch 25 is coupled up with the ignitionsystem in any well known manner or otherwise in an electric circuit forthe establislnnent-of lighting purposes.

The bulb .19 of the auxiliary lighting means is connected by suitableelectric wiring 26 with the switch mechanism 23 and the bulb 19 cut intoor out of the circuit by means of a suitable switch 2? or any suitablecharacter and in any suitable manner.

It will be understood that the auxiliary lightingm'ea'ns is arrangedwith relation to the housing or outer shell 3 to provide for theprojection of light rays over, downwardly and beyond the usualfroritfender oran-a'u'temobileand'by virtue of the grooved wall 18 theauxiliary rays are conc'entrated to some extent but sufliciently spread"as to provide eirective illumination for the pinposes of the presentinvention. v r

a In this particular embodiment of the invent-ion thelenses 7 and 14 maybe-coni'posedof a single piece of material and produced in any commonand well known manner and rigidly; connected to- If geth'er "by aconnecting ortion 28, e chew-11105 particularly inFigs. 2 to 7,-theconnectingpiece 28 being relatively narrow so that it may throughthe'notch or passage 29 in the-flange 9 of the mainrefiecto'r-fi. Theselenses '7-'and"14 are thus positioned at "pr per angles with -re1amo:tion to "each otherto 'prop'e'rly and-effectively take their seats, themainlens with relation to the main reflectorand the smaller lenswithrelation to the auxiliary "reflector "and the seat bt w'n which andthe auxiliary reflector the 16115 1419118 mounted. 'Moreover,"the"'rigidconnectionnc "be.

tween the lenses 7 and r4 facilitates assembling "the headlight parts.

'If 'd"'sir'ed a small curve'd-hoodco hiaytproject or auxiliaryreflector until 'the '1atter"c1earsits lens seat 13'0nf-the'sh'e1l whenthe lenses'aili d' the reflectors may be removed "from the themes "a'liliit.

In another *rribouime r'of the inventromand "as show particu1 ar1y'inriggm'tn main reflector 1'3 "is unconnected with 'the auxiliary"reflector 15"an'd thehi'ain lens 7"iSilhc6niibtedWiththe auxiliary lens,i'r'a'nd in "this :mcaificauon," the reflector 15 '7I'riay be'h1d inlace by a spring 31 having its inner end secured by a 'riVet "32 forotherwise futile ihnerwalldf'the housi'figbr shell 3 with its outrfreeend curve'dtothe snap-emf.

the aux liary 'reflecte i5"an'd 'provided'wtth aunt-" 33 to'efriblacfthe Socket bf the bulb I 9"-Whi'6by to erlectively hold theauxiliary I refli'ac'tor 15' against the lens 1-4 and effectivelyhold'thelns -14' on its seat over' the openin In the "modified form or"thef'invenucn"15113 of arr' uriitary' -type andtha'reflectors are notof an'iinitary type as imthe'other form first described ane undercertain 'ccnun 'tiorls maytegsrefe atiegto meprereried form "or, theinvention first described herein.

In either form of the invention efiective provision has been made forthe issuance of light rays in difierent directions, one beam of raysbeing directed straight ahead in the usual manner and the other beam oflight rays being directed forwardly and to one side of the headlight forthe purposes hereinbefore stated and through the instrumentality of myinvention a driver of a motor or other vehicle is enabled to remain athis seat and conveniently manipulate the auxiliary light when needed toprevent side swiping or to prevent running off the roadway or at thetime it is desired to negotiate a turn at a street or road crossing orintersection or at any other place or time.

What is claimed is:

A headlight for vehicles comprising a rearwardly tapered shell ofconventional substantially conical form open at the front end andprovided adjacent the front end at the outer side with a relativelysmall lateral opening, said shell being closed at the back, top, bottomand sides except for the small lateral opening, light reflecting meansincluding a rearwardly tapered main front reflector of the size of thefull front end of the shell and fitting the same, the taper of the mainreflector providing an intervening space between the reflector and theshell at the lateral opening and an auxiliary side reflector locatedexteriorly of the main reflector in rear of the front edge thereof andwholly within the said intervening space at the lateral opening andarranged to direct rays of light downwardly, laterally and forwardly atan inclination to illuminate the area at the outer side of and inadvance of the vehicle, said reflectors being rigidly connected togetherand forming an unitary structure to enable the light reflecting means tobe inserted in and removed from the said outer shell as a unit, and mainand auxiliary lenses fitting the reflectors and having an integralconnecting portion and forming a single lens unit, said lenses beingsupported by the reflectors and adapted to be placed in and removed fromthe shell with the reflectors as a unit.

ROBERT J. HICKS.

